Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Annexe

♬ Shish Bourak

To the best of my knowledge, Fawez was from Lebanon.

Lebanon (Arabic: لبنان), officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a small, predominantly mountainous country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Due to its sectarian diversity, Lebanon evolved a peculiar political system, known as confessionalism, based on a community-based power-sharing mechanism. It was created when the ruling French mandatory powers expanded the borders of the former Maronites Christian autonomous Ottoman Mount Lebanon district.

No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over religious balance. The 2006 CIA World Fact Book, Lebanon entry, gives the following distribution: Muslim 58.7% (Alawite, Druze, Nusayri, Shi’a and Sunni), Christian 40% (Armenian Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Assyrian, Chaldean, Copt, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syriac Catholic and Syriac Orthodox), and 1.3% of other religious sects.

As for Fawez, I have not been able to find any information. Both songs on this single were with the Orchestre Rahbani, and the song “Leila-Liela” on the flip side was written by Elias Rahbani. I even tried e-mailing Mr. Rahbani, but the message was returned undelivered.

If you have any information, please contact me.

Catalog number C 006-23 152 on Pathé / EMI, pressed in Belgium. No release date given.

My nine year-old son has Asperger’s Syndrome and will sometimes focus on things to a point of obsessiveness. Who knows? Maybe his obsession will turn into something awesome like this website! Anyway, my son’s latest obsession is this song and learning what these beautifully sung lyrics mean. “What is he saying daddy?”

I employed my sister in law who speaks a little French and this is what she came up with.

“Vien dans mon pais” means “come to my country” (actually, it literally means “come in my country.”)

“Come to my country, come to my country.
I will show you the
I will show you the rose of
I will show you the rose that bears your name.

Come to my country, come to my country.
I will tell you the story of the Sultans.
I will tell you

Comment by sean September 13, 2010 @ 12:37 pm

https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/lebanon-elias-rahbani-music-legacy-ten-tracks

I am having the same issue with regards to trying to find any info on Fawez, but it looks like he performed this track. It was written by Elias Rahbani who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Comment by The Listening Post Blog October 2, 2021 @ 7:21 am